AUTHORS NIC ENGEL and JEREMIAS BEERLI
In 1970, the photographs of Eisen- und Stahlwerke Oehler & Co. AG from Aarau came to the Swiss Museum of Transport. Georg Fischer AG had previously acquired a majority shareholding in Oehler in 1968. The Aargau-based company decided to donate its factory photographs to cultural institutions, and Oehler presented the pictures relating to mobility to the Swiss Museum of Transport. These photographs provide fascinating insights into the history of transportation, business and tourism in Switzerland. Founded in 1881, the company was active in various sectors, including steel production, but was also a manufacturer of cable cars, ski lifts,
electric vehicles and railroad accessories. Oehler played a pioneering role in the areas of electromobility and cable cars in particular.

Images are publicly accessible
For decades, these valuable objects remained unnoticed and in archival obscurity. Over the past three years, the images have been professionally digitized, conserved and made accessible. The Memoriav association, which is dedicated to the preservation of audiovisual cultural assets, supported the project. The photographs will not only be accessible online via the collection, but also via Memobase, Memoriav's digital platform. This means that the images are now accessible to the public and their long-term preservation is guaranteed.